Key Concepts in American English

You will notice that, depending on the circumstances, we speak English different ways.

When we speak with friends we talk one way, when we speak to a government official, for example, we speak another way.

When we speak with friends, we are using INFORMAL language.

When we speak with officials, we use FORMAL language.

Whenever we speak, we use BODY LANGUAGE to reinforce what we are saying. Body language is important because it communicates confidence, fear, respect and other emotions. If you want people to feel that you are confident speaking English, then your body language should communicate confidence.

The English language has over 1 million words. You cannot learn them all!

A college professor has a vocabulary of about 70,000 words.
The average English speaking adult has about 30,000 words in his or her vocabulary.

You need to learn vocabulary: the best way to do this is to READ, READ, READ!

When you read, look up the words you don't know. Use the dictionary!

The dictionary tells you:

The definition of the word.
The parts of speech.
How to pronounce the word.

SENTENCES

1. SENTENCES: Ideas and facts are communicated in English using complete sentences.

FORMAL LANGUAGE:

In formal English, we always communicate in complete sentences:

A sentence is a complete thought.

A complete thought has both a noun and a verb (called a subject and a predicate).

For example:
Where are we?
We are here in this classroom studying English.

INFORMAL LANGUAGE

When we use informal English, we do not always use complete sentences.

For example:

Where are we?
Here. (NOT A COMPLETE SENTENCE: there is no subject)

What are you doing?
Nothing. (NOT A COMPLETE SENTENCE: there is neither subject nor verb)

What did you do last night?
Went to the movies. (NOT A COMPLETE SENTENCE: there is no subject)

SLANG

2. SLANG

FORMAL language: We do not use slang in formal communication.

INFORMAL language: We do use slang in informal communication.

Examples:

Formal	Informal
Child	Kid
Children	Kids
Such as	Like
Very	Too
And	Too
Therefore	So
However	But
Only	Just
Immediately	Just
Simply	Just
Buy	Get
Hold	Get
Understand	Get it
Become ill	Get sick

3. TIME

TIME: the English language emphasizes (focuses on, begins with) time.

WHEN: The first thing (task, chore, job) is to communicate (identify, define) the when of what you want to say.

The verb indicates the time of action.

This is accomplished by choosing a tense:

Simple Tenses:

Present (now, today): I speak. I run.

Past (yesterday): I spoke. I ran.

Future (tomorrow) I will speak. I will run.

Progressive tenses:

These tenses are used when the action you are describing is continuous (is still going on).

Present Progressive: I am speaking. I am running.

Past Progressive: I was speaking. I was running.

Future Progressive: I will be speaking. I will be running.

Future tense with 'going to':

Informally, we use a form of the verb 'to be' combined with a form of the verb 'to go' to express the future: 'I am going to', 'you are going to', for example:

I AM GOING TO THE MOVIES. = I WILL GO TO THE MOVIES.

YOU ARE GOING TO WORK TOMORROW. = YOU WILL GO TO WORK TOMORROW.

WHO OR WHAT

WHO refers to PEOPLE.
WHAT refers to THINGS.

The subject of the sentence is generally either A NOUN OR PRONOUN:

 

Case	Subject Pronouns	Object Pronouns
1st person singular	I	ME
2nd person singular	YOU	YOU
3rd person singular	HE	HIM
3rd person singular	SHE	HER
3rd person singular	IT	IT
3rd person singular	THIS	IT
3rd person singular	THAT	IT
1st person plural	WE	US
2nd person plural	YOU	YOU
3rd person plural	THEY	THEM
3rd person plural	THESE	THEM
3rd person plural	THOSE	THEM

Sample sentences:

I give the book to you.
You give the book to me.
He gives the book to her.

We gave the book to her as a birthday present.
You gave us the book yesterday.
They gave us books for our anniversary.

5. HOW or the action of the sentence is next.

The verb indicates the type of action.
Verbs communicate doing, feeling or thinking.

Please note: Verbs change form depending on the subject of the sentence.

6. PLURAL or SINGULAR?

This is the next issue you must consider. The subject and the verb must agree in case:

Singular subjects take singular verb forms.
Plural subjects take plural verb forms.

Here is a conjugation table which shows how a particular verb changes form, using the verb 'to be':

 

Singular	Singular	Plural	Plural
I	AM	WE	ARE
YOU	ARE	YOU	ARE
HE	IS	THEY	ARE
SHE	IS
IT	IS
Singular nouns	IS	Plural nouns	ARE

Sentence examples:

 

Singular:	Plural:
I am a man.	We are men.
You are a man.	You are men.
He is a man.	They are men.
She is a woman.	They are women.
It is a book.	They are books.
This is a book.	These are books.
That is a book.	Those are books.

Basic Grammar Review   

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Copyright: 2004 English 4 All, Inc.